Swoon Thursday #121 ~ Beyond Control (Beyond Love #1) by Karice Bolton

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Here's how it works. From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

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My Swoon for this week comes from:

 Beyond Control
(Beyond Love #1)
by
Karice Bolton

First - The Blurb:

Gabby Sullivan learns in college that some things are impossible to control, and whenever life has spun out of control bad things seem to happen. She promises herself that she’ll stay a safe distance from the top three culprits:

Sex
Love
Relationships

But some things are beyond control…

Gabby handles her mom’s death and brother’s sudden abandonment just about as well as anyone could at the age of twelve. Left feeling alone, she finishes high school, developing a bit of a wild streak, and lives like there’s no tomorrow. That is until an illness stops her in her tracks. Learning to control life around her becomes her comfort. With a visible scar that reminds her and the world that she beat the odds, it’s impossible for her to put everything behind her, no matter how hard she tries.

Right out of college she begins working at her family’s company and buries herself in the safety of the corporate world. No extra time, no life, no relationships. It’s safe to say she might be a little demanding and overly ambitious, but she’s got everything under control, just how she likes it.

Jason’s been trying to piece his life together after a personal tragedy, only it’s not working. He’s thrown himself into his work, but he’s only becoming angrier. He’ll never forgive himself and doesn’t expect anyone else to either.

When the back of his vehicle is clipped by an obnoxious limo driver he can’t wait to let the driver have it until he hears Gabby’s voice coming from inside the sedan. There’s something soothing about it, something familiar.

The moment she sees him, she knows her life will never be the same. But she doesn’t know why. He’s everything she said she never wanted. He’s cocky, arrogant, and infuriating. With his dazzling amber eyes, dark hair and chiseled features she can hardly remember where she’s going, let alone where she’s been and maybe that’s a good thing. She begins to let him show her what life could be, if she really lived it.

Neither wants their past to define their future, but sometimes destiny has something else in store. It’s only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.


Second - The Swoon(s):

His hands ran down my spine with the lightest touch, causing me to shudder. He pulled back, his eyes connecting with mine, before he began softly placing kisses along my jaw. My eyes closed as I felt his lips move gently along my flesh, lowering with each kiss. He pulled his lips away from my skin as my breath hitched with anticipation. His eyes were filled with the same desire I felt, and I recognized the need that was something different in him, his touch. He was aware of things as he traced along my body that no man had been aware of before.

His eyes darted over my shoulder and my heart sank. The ferry lines were moving. He ran his finger lightly over my bottom lip, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake.

"Timing is everything," he murmured, sitting back in his seat and turning the engine on.

"Isn't it though?" I said, still breathless from his touch.

And this was only a kiss.

Losing her mother at the age of twelve, abandoned by her brother (whom she adored) not long after, and left to be raised by a father who was more interested in his work than in his daughter, Gabby's life has not been easy. Add into the mix a serious illness at the age of nineteen and it's not hard to see why she keeps the world at a distance. That is, until she meets Jason.

Jason, tall, dark, handsome, and a little more than cocky, quickly attracts Gabby's attention. However, dealing with his own issues, their relationship is off to a rocky start. Fortunately though, as their story unfolds and secrets of the past are revealed, things smooth out and they help heal each other.

I quite enjoyed reading this book, but be warned, it does end on a cliffhanger.

My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!